Poniedziałek 23 Kwi 2012, 22:14

Review: Joan Osborne
Bring It On Home (2012)
Saguaro Road Records

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn298/avalon3000/JoanOsborneBringIt_.jpg

When the track list for Joan Osborne's first album in four years appeared and the opening track was the blues/rock standard "I Don't Need No Doctor," I felt both excitement and trepidation. An Ashford & Simpson penned tune first done by Ray Charles and then taken to another whole level by Humble Pie and the legendary voice of Steve Marriott on their Rockin' the Fillmore LP in 1971, it's a classic worthy of playing at full volume. But similar recent attempts in going back to a blues and R&B sound in the last two years by Cyndi Lauper (Memphis) and Sheryl Crow (100 Miles from Memphis) fell flat. No need to worry. Osborne goes all the way back to her club singing roots and pulls off a triumph. Her voice smoothly stretches over these soul, R&B and blues cover tunes as her road band lays down a juke joint sound truly worthy of Memphis.

Surpassing even "I Don't Need No Doctor," the standout track is an incendiary cover of Slim Harpo's "Shake Your Hips " with Osborne is in full blues/rock chanteuse mode. On the title track, she sounds at her seductive, sultry best and on "Game of Love" she turns the song on it's head as a stand up feminist blues anthem.

This is the album that should break her out of the one-hit wonder mode in public perception, thanks to reaching the top of the charts back in 1995 with the all-pervasive (What if God Was) One of Us. She does bring some pop/adult alternative sensibilities to some of this material, especially on a fun cover of Allen Toussaint's reggae number "Shoorah! Shoorah!" Joan Osborne coming back to AAA radio…and a blues club near you soon.